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The South African energy services market is expanding, driven by rising electricity costs, energy insecurity, and falling technology prices. The market is divided into small-scale embedded generation (SSEG), energy storage, and energy efficiency, with a total available market estimated at R131 billion by 2035. While rooftop solar PV is the dominant SSEG technology, energy storage is emerging as a critical tool for resilience against load shedding. Energy efficiency faced contractions during COVID-19 lockdowns but retains significant untapped potential. The report identifies emerging opportunities such as Solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), behind-the-meter battery storage, and smart metering, while highlighting the role of the Western Cape as a regional hub for green economy investment.

The report examines South Africa's nascent electric vehicle (EV) market, highlighting a strong existing internal combustion engine (ICE) automotive sector that must transition to avoid losing key export markets. It identifies four primary investment opportunities: the electrification of public transport, local lithium-ion battery production, passenger vehicle manufacturing for export, and EV application in mining and construction. While global EV sales are rising, South Africa lacks specific subsidies and policies to accelerate uptake, and faces barriers such as high import duties (25% for EVs) and a lack of charging infrastructure. The document also details the potential macroeconomic impact of EV adoption, including reduced oil imports and a projected loss in government revenue from fuel levies.

The report outlines a transition toward sustainable agriculture in South Africa, driven by resource scarcity, rising input costs, and international market pressures. It identifies key opportunities in smart farming, undercover farming, regenerative and organic agriculture, and renewable energy. A significant portion of the analysis focuses on solar PV, solar-powered irrigation, and biogas, while also detailing the policy landscape including carbon tax, land reform, and cannabis legislation. The Western Cape is highlighted as a strategic hub for these greentech investments.

The document argues that African nations should leverage the post-COVID-19 recovery to 'build back better' by adopting green finance mechanisms. It identifies green bonds as a primary tool for raising large-scale capital and emphasizes the need for targeted public finance to de-risk investments and attract private capital. The briefing details several pathways for a green transition, including the establishment of environmental funds, the deployment of renewable energy as an economic stimulus, and the implementation of green fiscal reforms such as carbon taxes. It also highlights the critical role of central banks in 'greening' the financial sector through macroprudential regulation and the development of green taxonomies to reduce information asymmetries.

A December 2020 survey of 949 registered U.S. voters reveals broad support for clean energy development, energy efficiency, and international climate cooperation, though significant partisan divides persist regarding the urgency of global warming and specific regulatory policies. While majorities support transitioning to 100% clean energy by 2050 and the Paris Climate Agreement, support for fossil fuel expansion remains higher among Republicans. The report also highlights a general consensus on the economic benefits of clean energy and the importance of climate education in schools.

A December 2020 survey of 949 registered U.S. voters reveals broad support for clean energy development and various climate policies, though significant partisan divides remain regarding the urgency of global warming and specific regulatory measures. While majorities support transitioning to 100% clean energy by 2050 and participating in the Paris Climate Agreement, support for fossil fuel expansion remains higher among Republicans. The report also highlights a general consensus on the importance of infrastructure investment and climate education in schools.

The author contends that because a link between the EU carbon market and the UK is now impossible after Brexit, the UK should adopt a carbon tax on January 1st. This is presented as a superior alternative to a 'risky and highly complex' UK-only Emissions Trading System, providing necessary certainty for businesses and investors.

The 2020 assessment of NYDF Goal 9 reveals that while nearly USD 4.7 billion in results-based finance has been committed since 2010, only 40 percent has been disbursed. The report highlights a significant gap in funding for the implementation phase of REDD+ activities and notes that carbon markets have channeled USD 2.5 billion to forests over 20 years. While private sector demand for forest carbon offsets is rising among airlines and petroleum companies, current carbon prices remain too low to meet Paris Agreement objectives. Additionally, the report details various domestic compliance schemes in countries like Australia, Canada, and China that allow for forest carbon credits.

The policy brief analyzes the socio-economic and environmental vulnerabilities of Latin America exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that traditional economic reactivation measures risk perpetuating structural crises and instead proposes a 'just and resilient recovery' based on four principles: climate action, decent employment, social inclusion, and long-term financing. The document outlines four priorities for governments: applying the 'no-regression' principle to avoid environmental deregulation, ensuring short-term measures align with long-term sustainability, maximizing investment in strategic sustainable sectors (such as renewable energy and regenerative agriculture), and increasing systemic resilience through economic diversification and new progress indicators beyond GDP.

The document examines subsidies for South Africa's coal-to-liquid (CTL) sector, dominated by Sasol. It identifies two primary support mechanisms: market price support via the Basic Fuel Price and exemptions from the Carbon Tax Act 15 of 2019. In 2019, these combined to a total value of ZAR 6.6 billion (USD 380 million). The brief argues that these subsidies increase costs for consumers, contribute to high coal use in transport, and conflict with South Africa's Paris Agreement commitments.

The research finds that both The New York Times and Wall Street Journal frame the Green New Deal as a "dangerous policy" by depicting its Millennial supporters as "extremist Millennial “Others.”" This discursive strategy of casting supporters as a threat is used to discredit the policy's viability and promote a market-based carbon tax as the only viable solution, thereby suppressing a diversity of political perspectives and stunting agonistic media pluralism.

The document examines how market price support and carbon tax exemptions sustain Sasol's coal-to-liquid operations in South Africa. It estimates that in 2019, these support measures totaled ZAR 8.05 billion, contributing to carbon lock-in and significant environmental externalities, including the operation of the world's largest single point source of greenhouse gases.

RMI commemorates Ted Halstead, the founder of the Climate Leadership Council, noting his efforts to build a broad coalition of business and environmental leaders to advocate for a carbon tax and dividend framework as a cost-effective and equitable climate solution in the US.

The report evaluates a 28.7 MW onshore wind portfolio in Germany against a gas-fired power plant of equivalent annual generation. Using the SAVi methodology, it integrates externalities (environmental, social, and economic) and climate change risks (physical and transitional) into a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA), Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE), and financial analysis. The findings indicate that while both assets are viable under conventional metrics, the wind portfolio is significantly more resilient to climate risks and societal costs. The gas-fired plant's financial viability collapses if a carbon tax is introduced or if social costs of carbon are internalized, whereas the wind portfolio maintains positive internal rates of return (IRR) and lower societal LCOE.

The document argues that renewable energy (RE) is now a viable, low-cost alternative to grid and diesel power for mining operations, particularly through hybrid systems. While high initial capital expenditure and intermittency pose challenges, the long-term total cost of ownership is lower over a 20-year period. The paper highlights the role of energy storage in stabilizing supply and the potential for portable solar systems to support exploration. It also notes that the shift toward electric vehicles in mining will further drive RE demand. In South Africa, major mining companies are already seeking to self-generate solar power to reduce grid dependence.

The document argues that the COVID-19 pandemic serves as a 'climate change parable,' presenting both risks and opportunities for global climate action. While the pandemic caused a temporary decrease in global emissions, the author warns that this is not a permanent decoupling of economic growth from emissions. The paper highlights a divide in national responses: some countries, like Rwanda and Canada, have integrated climate goals into recovery plans, while others, such as Australia and China, have shown tendencies toward industry protectionism or high-emissions stimulus. The author recommends that governments use stimulus packages to decarbonize the economy through fossil fuel tax reforms, renewable energy investments, and conditional state bailouts for carbon-intensive sectors to ensure the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement remains attainable.

The report analyses Tunisia's socio-economic challenges, including stagnant growth, high youth unemployment, and a large informal sector, while projecting development pathways to 2040. It highlights the country's strong human capital but warns that poor governance and an opaque economic system hinder progress. The analysis compares a 'Current Path' with three scenarios: 'Going for Growth', 'Leapfrogging', and 'Sustainability & Equality', concluding that substantive governance reform is essential for any successful transition.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) evaluates South Africa's R500 billion COVID-19 rescue package, concluding that the government's support measures have largely failed due to poor uptake, bureaucratic hurdles, and insufficient funding. The report highlights significant underspending, with an estimated R375 billion remaining unspent by June 2020. Key failures include the Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS), which reached only 8% of employers, and the Social Relief of Distress Grant, where only 1.2 million of 6.2 million applicants had been paid by June 18, 2020. Business support, including tax deferrals and the Credit Guarantee Scheme, suffered from low uptake and stringent eligibility criteria. Health and municipal support were described as patchy or underspent, with critical gaps in ICU bed capacity and water infrastructure in informal settlements.

A survey of 1,029 U.S. adults conducted in April 2020 reveals that while 75% of registered voters believe global warming is happening, views on its causes and the urgency of action vary significantly by political affiliation. Despite these divisions, there is broad cross-party support for renewable energy research, public land use for clean energy, and the Paris Climate Agreement. The report also finds that a candidate's position on global warming is a 'very important' voting factor for 43% of registered voters.

The report examines the financial and environmental impact of the UK's carbon tax exemption for biomass power plants, specifically focusing on Drax, Lynemouth, and MGT Teesside. It argues that biomass is not inherently carbon neutral and that the current tax break diverts funds from other low-carbon renewables. The author estimates that the government could forgo up to £6.4 billion in carbon taxes by 2027 based on high-end emission scenarios. The report recommends removing the tax break, tightening sustainability criteria, and requiring full life cycle assessments for Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) projects.